In an attempt to get us eating more healthily the British Nutrition Foundation has devised a new way for us to measure out our food. Rather than using scales or just guessing, they suggest that we measure portion sizes by using our hands, thumbs and fists.
In a famous episode from the Gospels Jesus was confronted with a hungry crowd of many thousands. As far as his disciples could see they didn’t even have a thumb-sized portion of food between them. Eventually they found a small boy with a few loaves and a couple of fish, barely enough for even one family. But when the food was placed in the hands of Jesus this tiny meal became more than enough for everyone, and 12 baskets of leftovers were gathered at the end.
The point of the miracle is this: too often we horde the little that we have for fear of there not being enough. But if we are willing to give what we have to Jesus, he will multiply and transform it beyond our wildest dreams.
So, while we start to use our hands, thumbs and fists to restrict what we eat, let’s not hold back on the giving of ourselves to God.